Z Combinator Fellowship

Z Combinator Fellowship (SY26–27) Zeta Charter Schools seeks fellows for the Z Combinator Fellowship, running from July 2026 through January 2027. We welcome applicants from all U.S. states who plan to open a school in Fall 2027 and have applied for charter authorization by the start of the program. Who We Are Z Combinator is a charter startup school and growth engine for schools of the future designed to to accelerate the growth of high-quality charter seats across the nation. We empower charter founders, leaders, and educators with the tools, resources, and expertise to build world-class schools. Z Combinator is a fully funded, seven-month Fellowship offered at no cost to participants. It is operated by Zeta Charter Schools in pursuit of our mission to ensure that every child in America has access to the highest-quality, free education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Our Fellowship and selection process is equitable, inclusive, and empowering. Since launch, Z Combinator Fellows have founded 11 schools across six states. Why Z Combinator Too many aspiring charter school founders never make it to day one. Charters are often founded by leaders with strong academic or day-to-day school operational experience but who may otherwise not yet be equipped to tackle the massive business, operational, legal, and political challenges facing early-stage charter startups. These challenges often distract leaders from their core work—delivering high-quality education—and can delay or prevent a school’s launch altogether. Venturing down the founder’s path, new charter founders often find that the path is not only incredibly challenging but also isolating, as the founder-leader uniquely bears responsibility for every aspect of a charter startup’s success (or failure). Z Combinator empowers charter founders with the mentoring, resources, tools, and expertise to build world-class schools and the knowledge they need to launch strong. We support you through your pre-launch year, helping you deeply connect with other charter founders nationwide going through the same experience, and preparing you with timely expert advice and coaching from individuals who have successfully launched and scaled world-class schools. Z Combinator equips you to launch strong on day one, while making incredible connections with other charter founders. What Happens at Z Combinator 3 In-Person and 2 Virtual Sessions: Fellows participate in three in-person sessions (16 total days) in New York City at Zeta Charter Schools for intensive, hands-on learning, and two virtual sessions. In-person learning includes interactive workshops with Zeta leaders during Zeta’s summer training and professional learning program; classroom visits; leader-teacher coaching sessions; and operational walkthroughs to observe how Zeta approaches processes like student arrival. Fellows also engage in facilitated school launch planning—from vision-setting to forming your tactical checklist leading up to Day 1—and business and operations sessions (e.g., people operations, budgeting, family outreach). We balance our intensive, hands-on sessions with opportunities to connect and rejuvenate with the Z Combinator team and cohort. In-Person Session Dates (NYC): Session I: July 13–24, 2026 Session II: September 14–18, 2026 Session III: January 11–15, 2027 Virtual Session Dates: October 28, 3:30–5:00 pm ET November 18, 3:30–5:00 pm ET Cohort Experience Z Combinator fosters a close-knit cohort experience. Z Combinator Fellows make connections and relationships with each other that last beyond the program. School Launch Resource Creation Through workshops, coaching, and individualized support, Fellows leave Z Combinator with a wide variety of exemplar Zeta resources and customized school launch deliverables, including: a polished fundraising pitch deck, a school launch project plan, an academic scope & sequence, a year one budget, an organizational hiring/staffing plan, and so much more! Office Hours